Geopolitics in focus at the 83rd Venice Film Festival; Clooney honoured
George Clooney receives a lifetime achievement award and Danny Boyle's "Ink" opens a programme notable for films about Gaza, Elon Musk, Russian journalists and other geopolitical subjects.
The 83rd Venice International Film Festival opened today with a lifetime achievement presentation to George Clooney and an opening-night screening of Danny Boyle's new film, "Ink." The festival's official programme runs across eleven days and brings together established directors and high-profile actors for Venice's competition slate.
Boyle's "Ink" examines how Rupert Merdok and Leri Lamb transformed "Sun" into a powerful center of British tabloid journalism; the film is one of 21 titles vying for the festival's top prize, the Golden Lion.
Among the high-profile entries is "Primetime," which features Robert Pattinson portraying journalist Chris Hansen, known for using hidden cameras on his show to confront alleged sexual offenders. Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem appear as a married couple in "Bunker," a drama about an architect hired by a technology billionaire to build an underground shelter to survive Doomsday.
The festival also expects appearances from Liam and Noel Gallagher during the premiere of a documentary about Oasis's reunion.
Organisers and critics note that this year's programme places a strong emphasis on geopolitics. The lineup includes films addressing the conflict in Gaza ("NAZA"), a film about Elon Musk ("Mask"), and a film about independent Russian journalists covering the war in Ukraine ("My Unwanted Friends – Second Part: Persecution"). The selection also features Palestinian films and a short about the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Minneapolis.
Jury and direction comment on politics in the programme
Maggie Gyllenhaal, president of the festival jury, highlighted how many entries tackle current events and conflicts. "We could ask how it is possible to talk about films now when the world is in a state of emergency. For me the answer has something to do with empathy. Films are fundamentally and inevitably political," she said.
Festival director Alberto Barbera said that most of the films seen during selection deal with contemporary problems. "We really had no choice. We find ourselves in a space open to discussion and confrontation for everyone. Everyone is completely free to express themselves. And I am truly happy that this kind of film can help viewers, critics, everyone better understand what is happening in our contemporary, difficult world," Barbera said.
Photo: АП)
